The story of Gaiabis
Gaiabis was born from a simple desire: to offer a clearer, more demanding and more coherent approach to cannabis, hemp, wellness and accessories related to this world. Behind Gaiabis lies not an opportunistic idea, but a gradual development based on experience, hands-on knowledge and a shared vision.
Our story has developed step by step, with one constant objective: to improve the customer experience, both in store and on the website, while remaining true to what we genuinely want to offer.
How the journey began
The journey began in 2017 with a first online project. From the outset, the idea was to explore a world that genuinely resonated with us: the world of natural products, legal cannabis and products capable of providing practical everyday benefits.
Coming from an IT background, I have always paid close attention to interface quality and the user experience. Many websites in this field were difficult to use, hard to read or overloaded with information. The objective was therefore clear: to build a simpler, more enjoyable and genuinely useful website.
We soon also realised that an online-only project was not enough to meet every expectation.
Opening the store
On 20 April 2021, we reached an important milestone with the opening of the store. This choice responded to a practical need: to offer advice, build personal connections and give Gaiabis a tangible dimension.
The Bulle store played a central role in building the project. It allowed us to better understand expectations, speak directly with customers and root Gaiabis in a more human and tangible experience.
Hélène joined the store that same year as manager. Her experience in retail, her thoroughness and her hands-on management were decisive. Before that, she worked at Manor, where she managed departments related in particular to sport and travel. Her background is also closely connected to sport and wellness, through activities such as running, mountain pursuits and sports coaching.
The turning point in 2024
As with many projects, some stages help us move forward, while others require more far-reaching decisions. In 2024, we chose to start again on a clear foundation, with a shared and coherent vision.
1 May 2024 marked the creation of GaiaLab Sàrl. This new beginning gave Gaiabis a more precise direction, better aligned with our standards and our way of working.
Gaiabis's online development
11 November 2025 marked a new milestone with the launch of the Gaiabis e-commerce website. This first version laid the foundations for a much broader project: bringing together the catalogue, information and Gaiabis experience in one environment accessible throughout Switzerland.
The website then continued to evolve. The catalogue expanded, categories were revised and new resources gradually appeared to go beyond a simple online store.
Practical guides were created to answer frequently asked questions and explore certain topics in greater depth. A specialist glossary was added to these resources to explain, in simple terms, the terminology related to cannabis, hemp, cannabinoids, accessories and vaporisation.
Gabi, our assistant integrated into the website, also made an appearance. It is designed to help visitors find their way around the catalogue and locate information more easily across our products, guides, blog and various resources.
A complete redesign in September 2026
1 September 2026 marked another major development. After several months of development and successive improvements, the Gaiabis website was completely redesigned.
The interface was thoroughly reworked, with a new visual identity, clearer navigation and the introduction of a dark mode. The categories, filters and catalogue structure were also redesigned to make it easier to search through an increasingly broad selection.
Significant technical work was carried out in parallel. Performance was greatly improved and loading times considerably reduced to provide faster, smoother browsing on both desktop and mobile.
This redesign was therefore about more than just the website's appearance. It represented a comprehensive evolution of the platform: catalogue, usability, content, information search, performance and tools are now designed as different parts of one experience.
Why the name Gaiabis
The name Gaiabis was chosen for its simplicity, readability and associations. It refers to Gaia, nature, and the world of cannabis, with a natural balance between the two.
For us, this name reflects an idea of naturalness, fluidity and harmony, while remaining rooted in a world we know and want to present in a serious and accessible way.
A nature-focused approach
Our interest in this world does not stem solely from a commercial rationale. It is part of a broader sensitivity towards simple, coherent approaches that stay close to nature.
Over time, we have developed a more precise perspective on products, their usefulness and how they should be presented. This experience now leads us to prioritise clear information, without exaggeration, and to avoid unnecessary or misleading claims.
Our objective remains simple: to offer coherent products, supported by sound advice, without overdoing it.
How we work
Gaiabis is based on complementary work every day.
Baptiste manages Gaiabis's digital development and IT systems: e-commerce website, programming, internal tools, search engine optimisation, catalogue, content, design, automations and the technical solutions used every day. He also contributes to order logistics and to part of the product selection, particularly in the accessories field.
Hélène manages all purchasing for Gaiabis, as well as finances and part of the administration. She also supervises the store on a daily basis, including sales, organisation, stock management and overseeing operations on site.
She is also involved in product selection, tests certain ranges (cosmetics, herbal teas, oils, etc.) and checks the information published online to ensure its consistency.
Important decisions are made together, guided by a shared principle: to build Gaiabis coherently, without compromising the quality of the experience we offer.
How we select our products
We do not want a catalogue built at random. Every product must have a reason for being there.
We favour useful products that offer a good balance between quality and price. A product may be affordable or more premium, but it must always be coherent. If it is meant to fulfil a function, it must do so properly.
We also attach particular importance to supplier reliability, product continuity and their relevance within the overall offering. We like to offer products that we could use ourselves or recommend with complete confidence.
We reject opportunistic approaches, overloaded catalogues and products with no real value. Nothing is added without careful consideration.
The same standards in store and online
Whether in store or on the website, the objective remains the same: to offer a clear, enjoyable and coherent experience.
We want everyone to be able to understand the products easily, find what suits them and move through a simple, reliable environment.
Orders are carefully prepared in Switzerland, in compliance with the applicable legal framework. This rigour is an integral part of how we work.
Our vision
Gaiabis aims to evolve over time with a clear direction: to become a reference in Switzerland and a brand recognised for the quality of its experience, the wealth of its resources and the coherence of its offering.
The current store is part of this development, but it is not its limit. Our ambition is to develop Gaiabis beyond a single point of sale, while maintaining the same high standards and identity.
The website follows the same approach: it is not considered a finished project, but a platform intended to continue growing with new products, new features and new resources.
We move forward with a simple approach: doing things properly, for the long term.
Baptiste & Hélène
